The Nivalis Powered Trailer Kit centers on an electric axle rated at 50 kilowatts-peak, capable of both propulsion assistance and regenerative braking. It draws on a 60-kilowatt-hour, 400-volt lithium-ion battery pack charged from three sources: the axle itself during braking and deceleration, a full rooftop array of photovoltaic panels generating up to 3.7 kilowatts-peak, and a 32-ampere, three-phase AC grid connection available during parking stops. The driver sees only a small display readable from the cab's side mirror showing system status and battery charge level.
The partners project savings of up to 7,000 liters of diesel per trailer per year, keeping about 19 tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. These figures are based on a trailer running 100,000 kilometers annually at payloads between 20 and 24 tonnes, on a mix of long-haul and hub-to-hub routes. The savings break down as roughly 30 to 35 percent from the electric axle during braking and deceleration, 11 to 15 percent from the rooftop solar panels, and the remainder from grid charging during parking stops.
Across Europe and North America, a growing number of companies have concluded that electrifying the trailer rather than replacing the tractor unit may be the fastest and most cost-effective path to decarbonizing long-haul freight. A new battery-electric heavy truck carries a high upfront cost and demands charging infrastructure that most freight corridors do not yet reliably provide. A retrofit kit fitted to an existing trailer sidesteps both problems.
Three knowledge points stand out. First, the energy breakdown is revealing: regenerative braking contributes the largest share of savings, but rooftop solar and grid charging each play essential roles, making this a hybrid approach rather than a single technology solution. Second, the retrofit model means existing trailers can be upgraded without replacing the entire tractor-trailer combination, dramatically lowering the entry cost for fleet operators. Third, the pilot is designed to run for more than a year across multiple seasons, meaning the industry will soon have real-world data on whether self-powered trailers can deliver on their promises in winter conditions, varying payloads, and diverse routes.